American Gun Violence is 22x greater than in other rich nations

America’s gun violence dwarfs that of other rich nations and has health implications. It’s way past time to do something about it, as I argued in Gun Violence Reframed as a Public Health Issue. This much shorter companion article, inspired by the following video, includes what we’ve see here in Texas, along with relevant images.

With more guns than people, it’s not surprising America has so many gun homicides. It’s getting worse, and we’re now now seeing more than one mass shooting per day. It’s hard to get reliable data on gun violence to better understand the causes, because we’ve not been funding it. But one thing is clear: more guns have resulted in more gun deaths. 

In Gun Violence Reframed as a Public Health Issue, I proposed many reform options, each with broad public support to spark debate. According to a recent Fox News poll, almost 90% of voters support universal background checks. That even includes most NRA members (as much as 70-80%) across both political parties. Over 80% support age 21 as the legal age to buy a gun, mental health checks, and red flag laws to flag people who pose a danger to themselves or others. And over 75% support a 30-day waiting period.

One proposal that’s hotly contested by the far right is reinstating the assault weapons ban. Instead, the gun industry is introducing their “bad-ass looking” Sig Sauer MCX Spear, a “civilian version” of the U.S. Army’s new XM7 rifle. It’s twice as powerful as an AR-15 and specifically designed to tear through Kevlar or any other supposedly bullet-proof material. (Watch the video to see how it’s marketed to consumers and gun enthusiasts.)

Typical arguments supporting the popular selling assault rifles ring shallow, because the previous ban worked, and the other gun safety proposals work too. Still, NRA lobbyists continue to oppose all gun safety laws. To know why, just follow the money. But isn’t it time to take on the lobbyists an protect children?

“Responsible” Gun Owners Want Better Gun Safety Laws

It should seem obvious that responsible gun owners want to keep guns out of the hands of those who may misuse them. I found the same thing when I asked homebuilders about the need for licensing. Here’s the back story:

From my experience, Activism Works

Twice I’ve experienced huge David v Goliath wins over powerful adversaries, showing that a small group of activists can have a big impact. In this one example 13 years ago, I represented a nonprofit working to abolish an abusive state agency that protected homebuilders from lawsuits. During a Texas Association of Home Builders lobby day, my partner and I interviewed dozens of builders. We found most of them were just as frustrated as we were, because without licensing, Texas had become a magnet for unscrupulous builders that gave their industry a bad reputation among buyers, and it was hurting business. Here’s a short celebration video I created after the Texas Senate voted to shut down the agency:

Homeowners of Texas (HOT) achieved this massive political victory when the Texas Senate unanimously voted on 5/23/09 to abolish the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC). Homebuilder interests represented by the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) had conducted a far-reaching and expensive lobbying campaign to extend the life of the controversial state agency for six more years. But our 501(c)(4) nonprofit with no revenue stream stood firm, represented consumer interests, and fought to kill the TRCC. We ultimately prevailed against overwhelming odds and one of the most powerful lobbies in Texas. It was a great day for Texas consumers and the only time a Texas state agency had ever been abolished. It helped that a 2006 Texas Comptroller’s report and Sunset Advisory Commission also recommended abolishing the TRCC, saying it did more harm than good. That was the common theme of overwhelming public testimony.